Valve actuating means



y 20, 1948- v. c. PRIEST VALVE ACTUATING MEANS Filed July -9 1946 VaZZ C. Priest Emma/2 Patented July 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE V VALVE Aozfii'fiio MEANS I 4 Application July 9, 1946, Serial No. 682,321

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in valve actuating means, more specifically, in means for actuating valves, particularly overhead valves, in internal combustion engines of automobiles and similar vehicles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide valve actuating means in which the valve clearance gap is formed within the body of the valve tappet, rather than between the push rod and the rocker arm.

A further object of the invention is to provide valve actuating means wherein the component parts between which the clearance gap is formed are constantly bathed in oil, thereby preventing what is commonly referred to as the tappet noise.

An additional object of the invention is to provide valve actuating means which does not, in any way, interfere with the normal operation and function of the valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide valve actuating means which are simple in construction and which can be readily manufactured.

With the above and more important objects in View and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tappet per se,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a. cross-sectional view taken sub stantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a plunger used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention embodies in its construction a valve tappet, designated generally by the reference character In, the same being reciprocated as a whole within the valve tappet guide I I provided in the engine block.

The tappet consists of a cylindrical sleeve l2 which constitutes the follower of a cam l3, the sleeve l2 enclosing a cylinder l4 provided with an axially extending bore l5 and closed at the lower end thereof by a base plug IS.

The upper end of the cylinder I4 is formed with an inturned shoulder H and is beveled substantially as shown at Ill. The shouldered portion of the cylinder M is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending oil passages I 9, the same being inwardly convergent and the purpose thereof being hereinafter more fully explained.

A plunger 20 is slidably positioned in the bore l5 of the cylinder H, this plunger being substantially cylindrical in configuration and being provided with further, longitudinally extending oil passages 2|. The passages 2| are formed adjacent the lateral edge of the plunger and the latter is formed at each end thereof with substantially cylindrical abutments 22, 23, as is best shown in the accompanying Figure 5.

The abutments 22, 23 are of relatively smaller diameter with respect to the main body portion of the plunger and the upper of the abutments (22) is formed with a concave depression 24 forming a seat for the push rod 25.

This push-rod is of conventional design and the upper end thereof engages through the medium of a ball and socket joint 26 one end of a rocker arm 21, which in turn is pivoted as at 28, while its remaining end actuates th valve 29.

The aforementioned plug I6 is provided with a further abutment 30, which coacts with the aforementioned abutment 23 to form the clearance gap 3|. A suitable compression spring 32 is interposed between the plunger 20 and the plug l6, as will be clearly apparent in the accompanying drawings.

When the invention is placed in use, the spring 32 will normally urge the plunger 20 against the inner face of the shoulder l1, thus facilitatin maintenance of the gap 3| and permitting expension of the push rod 25, etc., under heat. As the cam 13 forces the tappet l0 upwardly, the adjacent surfaces of the abutments 23 and 30 will be brought into contact and resultingly, the valve 29 will be actuated in the conventional manner.

It will be noted that the oil passages l9 and 2| will facilitate free flow of oil from the bore IE to the push rod seat 24, thereby assuring noiseless operation of the tappet.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is considered unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combina- 2,446,493 3 4 tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to mally spaced and forming a clearance gap, and a without departing from the spirit and scope of plurality of oil passages provided in said plunger the invention as claimed. and in said shoulder.

What I claim as my invention is: VALL C. PRIEST. Valve actuating means comprising in combina- 5 tlon, a cam actuated cylinder and a base plug in REFERENCES CITED the lower end thereQf, an intlll'ned Shoulder at the The following references are of record in the upper end of said cylinder, a plunger slidably pofil f this patent; sitioned in said cylinder and forming a push rod seat, coacting abutments on the adjacent sur- :0 UNITED STATES PATENTS faces of said plunger andsaid plug, a compression Number Name Date spring between said plunger and said pl g, the 1,336,447 Suffa Apr. 13, 1920 adjacent surfaces of said abutments being nor- 1,579,350 Wlttig A r. 6, 1926 

